"Is the Arc Reactor Mark II more important right now, or is the Lizard more important?" Silas asked.
Tony's eyes, under his mask, sharpened. "They're both the same."
BOOM!
The Lizard launched an attack, wrapping both arms around Tony. The two fell crashing out the window. BANG!
Silas and Peter quickly looked out the window to the ground below.
On the Ground
"Get off me, you big lizard," Tony said. His chest reactor gathered energy and shot a laser beam.
"Aow!" The Lizard's chest was pierced by the laser beam, but he wasn't dead. The hole in his chest was visibly regenerating at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Tony stood up, giving the Lizard no chance to recover. "Jarvis, give him a big one."
"Yes, sir," Jarvis replied.
A large array of missile launchers popped out from Tony's back and shoulders. He aimed his hands at the Lizard. "Goodbye, Green Baby."
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Missiles struck the Lizard one after another. The Lizard writhed in unbearable pain, as if he were at the epicenter of a nuclear explosion.
The Lizard, in agony, fled. He casually ripped open a manhole cover and dove inside.
Tony flew to the manhole cover, peered inside, and a splash of sewage water sprayed onto his face mask.
"What is that?" Tony touched the water on his mask.
"It is sewage, sir," Jarvis stated.
"..." Tony recoiled in disgust. "This Green Baby is playing with dirty water. He should be attending a pool party."
"Sir, the most important thing now is to retrieve the Arc Reactor Mark II," Jarvis reminded him.
This was Tony's original goal. After receiving intelligence about the masked vigilante, he had rushed over without delay.
SHWOOSH!
Tony flew back up to the hallway but didn't see Silas. He turned to Peter. "Pajama Boy, where is that masked vigilante?"
"He's..." Peter was about to say that Silas was right next to him, but he realized Silas was gone!
"Looks like he slipped away?" Tony looked around but didn't spot Silas. "Jarvis, where is the nearest surveillance camera?"
"There is one at the corner of the hallway," Jarvis replied. There had been another one here, but the Lizard had destroyed it.
"Read the surveillance footage." Tony told Peter, "Pajama Boy, I have high hopes for you." With that, he flew away.
"Hey! It's Spider-Man!" Peter pulled at his spider emblem, protesting, but Tony didn't even look back.
Seeing that Tony had left, Peter immediately ran to the restroom to change back into his clothes.
After everyone had left, Silas emerged from the hallway!
It turned out Silas had never actually left. He had simply entered the Shadow Realm on the spot and only came out after some time had passed.
"They're all gone? Hiss~" Silas started to raise his hand but felt a burning pain in his arm.
Silas pulled up his sleeve and saw that the skin had been scraped raw during the fight. That was the source of the pain.
"Not strong enough~" Silas was pondering this when the system's voice chimed in.
[Saved students in the school, gained 50 Justice Points]
[Repelled the Lizard, gained 300 Justice Points]
"Three hundred Justice Points just for repelling him?" Silas said in disbelief.
[Repelling the target only grants points once]
"Understood." Silas knew the cameras here were broken. He had already changed his clothes in the Shadow Realm, and his mask dissolved into black mist, revealing his youthful face.
Silas quickly ran downstairs. When Misty saw him, she grabbed his hands anxiously. "Where did you run off to?"
"It's nothing. Didn't you say this bracelet was very important to you?" Silas pulled a string of blue bracelets from his pocket.
"Thank you!" Misty hugged Silas excitedly. "But next time, I won't allow you to take such risks."
"Okay," Silas slowly placed his hands on Misty's back.
Earlier, Silas had been trying to figure out an excuse to return, when Misty anxiously mentioned that an important bracelet of hers was still in the classroom and she had to retrieve it.
Hearing this, Silas used it as an excuse to volunteer to fetch it for her. He changed into his suit on the way there.
"Mr. Kline?" Jadek approached Kline.
Kline asked, "What is it?"
"The higher-ups have decided that after we count everyone in our classes and confirm the numbers, we'll dismiss school early for a week," Jadek relayed.
Kline nodded and began to call his students together.
After everyone was accounted for and confirmed, Kline announced, "The situation today is quite unusual. So, pack up your things and go home. Classes are suspended for one week."
"Yay!"
"That's great!"
"Long live the Lizard!"
Hearing this, Kline shouted, "Whoever shouted 'Long live the Lizard!' Go home and write a report on the Lizard, no less than five hundred words!"
"No!" A chorus of groans rose from the students.
Misty wiped a tear from her eye and said to Silas, "I hope you have a pleasant week off."
"You too," Silas smiled.
Misty asked, "Silas, you live in Queens, right?"
"Yes, why?" Silas didn't understand why Misty was asking.
Misty smiled mischievously. "You'll find out then. I'm heading back now." Waving her hand, Misty walked out of the school gate.
Silas tilted his head, confused by what Misty meant.
"Silas! Are you hurt?" Peter quickly found Silas in the crowd and approached him with concern.
"I fell accidentally while running and scraped my arm," Silas didn't hide his injury.
After all, there was nothing to hide. Accidents happen while fleeing.
"Be more careful next time, Silas," Peter said.
In reality, Peter's abdomen was still throbbing. The Lizard's tail had been a painful blow.
Not just there, Peter's back was covered in bruises.
Silas was much better off than Peter, because with the mask's power, most of the impact from the damage he took had been dissipated.
"Hiss~" Peter couldn't help but gasp.
Just now, Ned had approached Peter and clapped his hand on Peter's shoulder.
"Oh! Sorry, sorry! Are you hurt?" Ned quickly retracted his arm and apologized when he heard Peter's pained reaction.
Peter shook his head. "It's nothing. I fell when I was going down the stairs and hurt my back."
"Then you should go to the nurse's office, before they close," Ned suggested.
Peter pondered for a moment, then waved his hand. "Thanks, but I don't think I need to."
Peter was hesitant to go to the nurse's office because he felt that the staff would instantly realize that the wounds on his back weren't from a simple fall.
"Alright then, but you should still get it checked out," Ned said.
Sewer
"I must come up with a perfect plan!"
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